View of the base of the Garment District sewing needle sculpture located in the historic Garment District in downtown Kansas City, Missouri, at 8th and Bank Streets. The base of the sculpture includes a button which is in view as well as the dedicatory plaque. The sculpture and the Garment District Museum were dedicated on October 4, 2002. The plaque includes a list of donors, honorees, as well as some brief history.

The plaque reads: "The Historic Garment District - Dedicated 2002 - This needle sculpture is dedicated to the memory of the wholesale, textile, and garment industry that flourished in this area from its beginning in 1898.

In the early 1900s, most of the buildings within this historic district formed a wholesale distribution center for clothing, dry goods, millinery, and shoes. A flourishing garment manufacturing industry replaced the wholesale distribution business as the demand for locally produced clothing items soared after World War I.

At its peak, the garment business in Kansas City was well known throughout the fashion world, with its products sold in every state in the nation. It became a major area employer providing opportunities for newly arrived Americans.

Those honored here made this area a showcase for the nation, then and now, adding to Kansas City's reputation as a thriving commercial hub."

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